Phoenix Inspirations

I have a very clean and simple card for you today - in fact it only took minutes to create - once I'd decided what I was going to do! I followed the challenge over at Less is More The colours I have used are - So Saffron and Night of Navy The yellow background was created by inking up a stamping block and spraying it with water. I then gently dried it with my heat gun. The bird image was stamped over the top. I wish it had been darker but I think my ink pad is drying up - time to purchase a re-inker me thinks. A simple sentiment was added in the blue ink to finish it off. That's all for now - off to work now. See you soon - J x

I so enjoyed my little water colour moment yesterday that I thought I'd have another go today! This is a little different but a fab technique that I picked up at a craft group a few years ago. Take a look at my card and I will explain all! This is a two part stamped image and I inked up the green stems first. I made sure it was well inked and then I gave it a light spray with some water. Only spray very lightly as you don't want to drip ink everywhere! The image was stamped onto some thick card stock and then gently dried with a heat gun. Again this needs to be done carefully or else the ink blows everywhere!! Using a pale blue ink I did the same with the flower heads. As all the detail was lost I used a darker blue and over stamped the flowers . This was done after the first inking was dry. A simple Happy Birthday was then added and heat embossed with gold embossing powder. This card is being entered into the following challenges: CAS on Friday

So - still no snow here -thank goodness! - I know lots of you have had some and I hope you are enjoying it! I have been enjoying some time with my craft stash and I have created a card featuring some umbrellas. This card will be entered into two challenges: Happy Little Stampers Just Add Ink Here is my card I watercoloured a wash of gray paint to make the background and then added the umbrella handles. I stamped and coloured the umbrellas on scrap card and cut them out. These were attached using 3D foam pads. The clouds were also fussy cut and adhered using glue. The raindrops were heat embossed with silver embossing powder and lastly the sentiments were added. Here's a closer view Thank you for stopping by today and taking a look - see you soon - J xx

Gosh - January didn't hang around did it? I can't believe it's February already! Have any of you got snow? Thankfully we have none at the moment because I hate it. I live on top of a hill so to get anywhere (I don't drive) I'm either going downhill or uphill - I could do with a ski-lift!!! Anyhoo - to brighten up your dark day it's challenge time over at the  Rainbow Card Challenge This month's theme is The rules are simple - a monochrome card using orange. Here's mine for the team I chose a snowy theme as most of the UK is snowbound at the moment! My images are from the SU set Endless Wishes along with a sentiment from the Good Greetings set. A little unconventional for a Christmas Card perhaps but I had fun making it! I hope you can play along with us this month - see you soon - J xx